Boom!
A terrifying shockwave rippled outward, shaking the entire hospital to its foundations.
Mei Terumī: "What's happening!?"
Ao: "That chakra fluctuation… it's coming from behind us!"
The group rushed to the window and peered outside. Down below, a figure bathed in blue light was leaping skyward.
It was Might Guy.
He soared into the air, his body radiating fierce, burning energy.
Below him, Chōjūrō gripped his Hiramekarei, the twin-bladed sword blazing with concentrated chakra.
Mei Terumī's eyes widened in disbelief.
"Sweat evaporating into blue steam… That's—!"
Ao's pupils shrank. "The Eight Gates! The power of Konoha's Azure Beast, Might Guy!"
Mei's expression darkened. "This is bad!"
Elsewhere, Jiraiya could only sigh helplessly. He hadn't expected Guy, of all people, to open the Eight Gates just because he encountered a kid.
"Damn it, Guy… are you trying to blow up half the village!?"
Guy's reasoning, however, wasn't wrong. With dozens of Hidden Mist shinobi converging on their location, he had to end the battle quickly. If he hesitated, retreat would be impossible.
All around, Kirigakure ninja stared in horror as the air was drawn toward Guy's clenched fists. The pressure was suffocating, the atmosphere itself trembling under his chakra.
Then—
"Hirudora!"
Might Guy thrust his fist forward. The compressed air detonated outward, forming a colossal tiger of pure force that roared down toward Chōjūrō.
The sound alone made the Mist shinobi clutch their ears, the pressure wave shaking their bones. The chakra beast's gaping maw bore down upon its prey.
But Chōjūrō didn't flinch. Gritting his teeth, he swung Hiramekarei, unleashing a blinding surge of chakra that collided head-on with the charging tiger.
The clash illuminated the sky for an instant—then Chōjūrō's chakra blade shattered, consumed by overwhelming power.
Hirudora tore through the resistance and thundered straight toward him.
Frozen in place, Chōjūrō could only watch the oncoming destruction.
'I'm sorry, Lord Shigure...'
'I'm still too weak!'
Around him, the Mist shinobi looked on in silent horror. The sheer power of Konoha's taijutsu master was beyond comprehension—one strike, and the battlefield itself seemed to crumble.
"Chōjūrō!" Mei Terumī's voice pierced the chaos.
And then—
A hand shot out, gripping Chōjūrō's shoulder and yanking him back just before the tiger struck. The figure hurled him behind, stepping forward into the path of the roaring beast.
He countered with a fierce punch—meeting Hirudora head-on.
In that instant, a crimson light flashed across the battlefield, and a deafening roar filled the air as Three-Tails appeared behind him.
BOOM! BOOM! BOOM!
A thunderous explosion erupted, rippling through the mist and shaking the village to its core.
Chōjūrō's body was flung backward. He tumbled across the ground, coughing, before raising his head—only to see a familiar figure standing tall before him.
"Lord Shigure!"
There he was—Shigure, cloaked in the chakra of the Three-Tails, his body brimming with raw power. He had blocked Hirudora—a full-force strike unleashed from the Seventh Gate of the Eight Gates Formation—with a single punch.
But the price was steep. His right arm hung twisted, bones shattered, flesh torn open. Yet before anyone could even cry out, the sound of bones knitting filled the air. The damage mended in seconds—Shikotsumyaku's regenerative power working its miracle.
As the explosion's echo faded, Might Guy dropped from the sky. The blue steam of his opened Gate dissipated, and he gazed at Shigure in stunned disbelief.
His eyes widened.
How... how could this be?
The famed Hirudora, a technique that could crush mountains, had been caught—by a boy using taijutsu alone!
"Lord Shigure! Are you alright!?"
Chōjūrō rushed forward, scanning his mentor's arm, only to realize there wasn't a single lingering wound. Around them, the surrounding Mist shinobi stared blankly, their strength seeming to drain away as the scene registered in their minds.
The boy who carried the Three-Tails had just stood toe-to-toe with Konoha's Blue Beast.
"K-Konoha's Azure Beast, Might Guy… that was really him," one murmured.
"And Lord Shigure… he blocked it. With his body!"
The crowd trembled. Awe replaced fear.
Shigure met Guy's stunned gaze and gave a faint smile.
"Guy-sensei, it's been a long time. There's no need to go all out from the start of a spar, is there?"
Might Guy blinked, momentarily frozen.
A spar?
Before he could answer, Jiraiya's voice echoed from afar. "Guy! That's enough—come up here!"
From a nearby rooftop, Mei Terumī called out sharply, "Disperse! All of you, stand down!"
The Mist ninja hesitated, exchanging bewildered looks. A spar? Not an invasion?
Mei's calm but commanding tone quickly restored order. She turned toward Ao, signaling him to stop the other ongoing battles. This couldn't continue. Any further, and it wouldn't just be a misunderstanding—it would be war.
Soon, the remaining clashes came to an end. Kakashi and Might Guy returned, their faces composed, while Asuma Sarutobi appeared with several visible cuts along his body.
The Mist shinobi whispered among themselves as Haku stepped out from the shadows, his slender form holding a long, needle-like blade. The air shimmered faintly around him.
It was clear who had inflicted those wounds.
Haku's mastery of the Shibuki, the explosive-blade needle, was terrifyingly precise—he had managed to push an elite Konoha jōnin to the brink.
Meanwhile, Zabuza Momochi stood silently with Kubikiribōchō slung across his shoulder, a faint smirk under his bandages.
Shigure raised his hand and used his Liquefaction Healing Technique on Asuma's injuries.
Streams of chakra flowed from his palm, closing each wound in moments.
"They're only surface cuts," Shigure said calmly. "He'll be fine."
The Kirigakure ninja looked on in astonishment.
"Those three—Might Guy, Kakashi Hatake, and Asuma Sarutobi—they're all elite Jōnin from Konoha!" one whispered.
"And they were held off by Lord Haku, Lord Zabuza, and Chōjūrō!" another exclaimed.
"Their blades—Kubikiribōchō, Shibuki, Hiramekarei—those are the legendary swords of the Seven Ninja Swordsmen of the Mist!"
Excitement began to ripple through the crowd.
"Could it be? Are the Seven Swordsmen returning?"
"Each of them wields a different sword… their strength rivals Konoha's elite!"
"I heard Lord Shigure intends to rebuild the Seven Ninja Swordsmen of the Mist. Chōjūrō is his direct disciple, and Haku's always been by his side…"
The chatter grew louder, hope rekindled among the villagers.
For the first time in years, the Hidden Mist was alive with energy. The Three-Tails Jinchūriki had fully mastered his beast. The legendary blades had resurfaced. And the will to rebuild the Seven Ninja Swordsmen had returned.
The Hidden Mist Village—long shrouded in blood and silence—was on the verge of revival.
From her vantage point, Mei Terumī watched the excitement spread like wildfire through the streets.
She glanced once more at Shigure, standing firm amid his people, the faint tail of chakra still flickering behind him. Then she sighed softly and closed the window.
"So that's why you arranged this little 'battle,'" she murmured.
"To remind them what it means to be from the Mist."
...
TN:
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